A Clinical Perspective: EGFR Mutation Analysis in Primary Lung Cancers

Lung cancer, or bronchogenic carcinoma, includes malignancies originating in the airways or lung parenchyma. Key risk factors are tobacco smoking, advancing age, COPD, and exposure to carcinogens like asbestos and radon. Additionally, genetic susceptibility plays a role, with 10-15% of never-smokers developing lung cancer, often linked to a strong family history. Advances in molecular pathogenesis have shown lung cancer to be a heterogeneous disease, driven by diverse molecular abnormalities. Tumor progression is influenced by receptors like Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFR), regulated by tyrosine kinases. Targeted therapies against these mutations are now first-line treatments, while chemotherapy is used for those who fail molecular therapies. This book explores demographic and clinical factors linked to mutant TK EGFR positivity in patients with advanced-stage (IV) lung cancer, based on research from a tertiary interventional pulmonology center in Pakistan.